Philosophy of Jiu Jitsu

Saturday, February 27, 2016

The Jiu Jitsu Times recently posted a piece entitled, "Old Man Jiu Jitsu." Like much of what they post at TJJT, this piece is composed from several different original sources--ranging from a video by Rener and Ryron to excerpts from things Roy Harris has said over the years about rolling into your later years. Much of the advice given in this (and related) pieces is sensible. As a 43 year old with a replaced ACL and a three level cervical fusion, I am especially appreciative of the encouragement and advice. The more stubborn one is, the more difficult the transition to old age will be--especially on the mats (which are often filled with young, hungry grapplers who want to earn their stripes off your aging and aching back). But I nevertheless have a major complaint about this particular piece (and all previous iterations)--namely, it targets the *wrong audience*!

Before I explain what I mean, let me begin by favorably summarizing what Rener and Ryron call the "Boyd belts." On their view--which runs afoul of traditional Gracie orthodoxy (but that's neither here nor there for present purposes)--it turns out that size and age matter. Indeed, they matter enough to counter-act and countervail experience and skill under certain circumstances. As such, the Gracie brothers have adopted a general guideline for acknowledging the advantages that can be gained on the mats by size/strength and age alone. It works something like this: Every additional twenty pounds equals a higher belt level (all other things being equal). Similarly, every additional ten years equals a lower belt level. Here's how it works in practice: Take a 40 year old back belt who weighs 160 lbs. Imagine he's rolling with a 20 year old blue belt who weighs 200 lbs. If you apply the Boyd belt equation, the younger and heavier grappler effectively gains three belt levels for the weight advantage and an additional two belt levels for the age advantage. Obviously, this math doesn't work out especially well--since it should mean that the young blue belt should actually have an edge (which doesn't seem right, at least in my experience). But the underlying idea is right (even if it's application doesn't always work out accordingly). In short, youth and strength can offset skill and experience when the differential is great enough. This is clearly correct (as anyone knows who has spent enough time on the mats). So, why am I complaining about the piece in TJJT?

Here is the gist of my gripe--both about this piece and about similar pieces that get published from time to time: They are pitched at the old grapplers who are struggling to adjust to their aging bodies and diminishing strength in a sport with a constant influx of young and hungry grapplers who are often full of piss and vinegar (as they say). In short, the advice is directed at the geriatric wing of the jiu jitsu academy. Older grapplers are told how to temper their expectations, how to roll differently, how to keep themselves safe, how to keep their pride in check, how to adopt a more sustainable mindset and skill set, etc. Of course, this is all fine advice as far as it goes. But I think it only tells one side of the story--and in doing so, it places the responsibility squarely on the (often arthritic) shoulders of the wrong age group. For while it's certainly true that as we age, we need to rethink and refashion our approach--e.g., inverted guard works better at 20 years of age than 70 years of age, after all--the old farts amongst us are not the only ones who need to be sensitive to age and strength differentials.

Indeed, I think the problem lies more with the young guns than the aging lions. After all, it's easy to lose sight of the advantages one has when one is in one's physical prime. For instance, I just witnessed a student at our gym yesterday complain about being 28 (as if that were old)! We all had a good laugh, of course. But it represents an important lack of insight many of the younger practitioners in jiu jitsu carry with them into rolls with people who are sometimes twice their age. In a blind zeal to demonstrate just how tough they are and just how good they've become, the young ones often forget what an advantage it is to be in one's physical prime--especially in a sport which takes such a toll on the body as is the case with jiu jitsu. I spent a childhood wrestling and most of my 30s and 40s doing jiu jitsu. My body is pretty beat up--despite eating well, regularly doing mobility work, rolling smarter, etc. Yet, in a friendly roll at the gym against a newly minted blue belt, it may seem like we're competing for the Mundials. Why? Because the blue belt has failed to take into account my age and limitations. Rather than rolling at a reasonable rate and trying to learn from their more experienced elders, young grapplers often come out guns blazing--with imagined scores to settle and onlookers to impress. After all, submitting an older and more experienced grappler is viewed as a feather in one's developmental cap (rather than as a misguided effort and missed opportunity to learn from someone who has more to offer).

There are lots of reasons this youthful mindset is counter-productive and even toxic to gyms. First, in my experience, the older students are more likely to stick around, more likely to come to class, more likely to be on time with their dues, more willing to help others learn, etc. Yet, they are also more prone to injuries. So, when they are regularly forced through the paces--when flows rolls would have been more appropriate--there is a real risk that the gym will lose important assets as these old guards end up on the sidelines with minor (or even major) injuries. It's a net loss to the gym when a dedicated 40+ year old purple, brown, or black belt ends up having to spend time away from the gym. Conversely, young and hungry white and blue belts are usually in much more abundant supply. Second, when older and more experienced grapplers get the sense that a younger, lower belt is coming after them with more gusto than is necessary or appropriate, tempers are likely to flare. In these contexts, it is the younger grapplers who end up on the short end of the stick--since they get purposely roughed up more than would otherwise have been the case if they had just relaxed from the outset. I have to admit to being guilty as charged on this front. Through a life time of grappling, I have learned to apply an awful lot of pressure--pressure I rarely use in full force against training partners because...well, because we're just training partners after all! But when I get the 220+lb 20-something barreling into me like our lives depended on it, I am ready to give a free lesson in shoulder pressure from side control. Sometimes, this ends up being bad for my training partner. Sometimes, the extra effort ends up hurting me as well (or instead). This is a very counter-productive and completely avoidable state of affairs.

I am writing this piece to suggest that both the aging lions and the young guns share responsibility for maintaining the proper balance when it comes to differentials in strength, age, and experience. It's not all on me to learn "old man jiu jitsu." Those who are new to the sport also need to learn respect for their elders early on and view them as important and invaluable learning tools and not just opportunities to show off. Test your mettle against someone your own size, age, and experience. Tailor your rolls to your training partner. There is a time and a place for going all out and a time and a place to slow things down to work on minor details, key principles, etc. Pushing the pace against someone twice your age only shows your immaturity--nothing more. It doesn't prove a single positive thing about your jiu jitsu. So, while it is important for old farts like me to let go of our stubbornness and accept the inevitable failures of our bodies as we move into old age, it is no less important for young grapplers to do a better job of being mindful of who they're rolling with (and how to roll most productively). For if you try to bully me around when you're half my age, we may both end up being hurt. I, too, was a young lion once after all (with all the lingering pride that goes along with that fading status). That's a net loss not just for both of us--it's a net loss for the school as well. So, the moral of my story: While "old man jiu jitsu" is an important mindset for the aging lions to adopt, "young man jiu jitsu" ought to be a mindset that is cultivated in the up-and-comers as well.

In short, the lesson is simple: Hespect your elders! The more this lesson is learned, the less time the aging lions have to spend learning old man jiu jitsu! The flow rolls will take care of themselves (to everyone's betterment and advantage).

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Good evening all. I wanted to share a random note I composed many belts ago whilst swept up in a fever of passion inspired by this lovely art. Four years after putting together this ode—surprisingly—and not so surprisingly—the feelings remain the same.

Thanks to Thomas, a.k.a. "The Grumpy Grappler" for inviting me to contribute to his blog, and good luck on his surgery! There's something to be said about someone who continues to involve himself in whatever way he can in a sport he was instructed to avoid. But the gentle art is like that...once you've been bitten...you're forever a bloodsucker.

Please enjoy:

So many people come up to me and ask,

"Don't you do karate?"

And I know what they're thinking. The amusement in their eyes and their slightly smug smile tell all. They think it's a joke. They think it's a child's activity set for dreaming nerds too timid to enter the cage or learn to box. It's an escapism, a fantasy created within the room boarded by foam mats and gray-haired men donning thick white uniforms.

But there's a difference between Brazilian jiu-jitsu and all the other hi-yah! karate-chop practices such as tae kwon do, aikido, krav maga, ninjitsu, etc.

And there's also a difference between Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the meat-head cage-fighting mentality that no-holds barred fighting has molded into. It's almost the same difference betwen Bjj and muay thai or boxing.

Number 1: Brazilian Jitsu is actually effective and tailored to real ways of subduing or submitting a person.

Number 2: Brazlian Jitsu does not actually hurt a person when subduing or submitting them.

Herein lies the beauty of this sport. You can control a person, completely, without literally inflicting pain or damage upon your opponent. It is clean, smooth and effective if applied properly.

Most people argue that Brazilian jiu-jitsu is not real fighting. This is because jiu-jitsu lacks the use of strikes, kicks, scathing, biting, hair-pulling or weapons.

But think about it. If faced with an opponent who knows nothing but how to "fight dirty" or throw punches, a jiu-jitsuer's first instinct will be to take their opponent down. If the jiu-jitsuer commits and successfully takes his or her opponent down, then the opponent is completely defenseless (save for futile scathing, hair-pulling or easily controlled attempts to strike). When taken down, the jiu-jitsuer has a large selection of submissions to finish their opponent. If no submission presents itself (out of the jiu-jitsuer's fear) or the jiu-jitsuer decides not to submit the opponent, the jiu-jitsuer should (if properly trained and adequate) know how to control his or her opponent.

Jiu-jitsu is guided by tight control and the ability to acknowledge his or her opponent's most subtle body movement.

The slightest movement results in an entirely different strategy. Vision, as exemplified by professors who blindfold their students and the numerous blind wrestlers and jiu-jitsuers of the world, means little in jiu-jitsu. You see with your body and touch, not with your eyes. So while your "dirty fighter" is flailing and flopping like a crazed monkey, you're calm and collected. Because you are aware of the situation. You are in control.

Just keep your distance, crouch down and pace the invisible circle before leaping into a takedown.

And remember, don't get knocked out before your awe-inspiring, battle-winning move.

Which brings me to my second point...you won. But is the opponent hurt, mangled or maimed in any way? In striking (particularly boxing and muay thai kickboxing), you are hurting your opponent until they "give up". Striking is completely based upon inflicting pain. Pain and injury are the means to an end. You are destroying a person's flesh by creating forced impact colliding with the tender parts of a human. You create bruises, bloody noses and possible injuries.

But in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you can overcome and conquer a person without actually hurting them at all. Cops show up at your door because of a domestic disturbance? Bar brawl ending up in interrogation? Who will they respect more? The person covered in bruises and blood? Or his or her passed-out opponent, whom by means of a controlled choke was safely put to sleep for a brief moment?

It's like being an adult in control of a seemingly uncontrollable child. You possess the ability to control them without hurting them because you are much more capable than the child. Your motor skills are more developed, and you possess more physical strength. In knowing jiu-jitsu you are like an adult against the un-jiu-jitsuing numberless children.

And after a hardy night of 2-3 hours of rolling on the mat with other sweaty, disheveled and panting men, you have the comfort of knowing you didn't hurt any of them. A definite camaraderie and bond develops between practitioners. It's the adrenaline of fighting without the drama. It's fighting with your friends for fun, then fake trash-talking, hugging, shaking hands, play wrestling and going out for a beer later.

Sunday, September 06, 2015

Chris Haueter is one of the original "dirty dozen"--that is, one of the first twelve Americans to receive a black belt in jiu jitsu. He also happens to be a renowned instructor with a hilarious sense of humor. In the video below--which is making the rounds around the interwebs--Haueter takes some time out at a recent camp to drop some knowledge on the students (along with a bunch of f-bombs). His lecture ranges over a number of interesting topics (watch the whole video for details), but the two things he said that resonated most with me were the following:

His definition of jiu jitsu

“The history of what we do right now is basically Japanese origin, Brazilian modified, American and Russian influenced grappling. It’s not like Helio, Carlos, Carlson, and George suddenly made up this whole jiu jitsu game.”

Hauter’s Golden Rules of Grappling

Rule 1: Be the person on top.

Rule 2: When on top, stay on top.

Rule 3: When on bottom, have an impassable guard.

Rule 4: Never forget Rule 1 (avoid the seduction of the bottom guard)

If you want to better understand why he thinks are the golden rules, watch the video below! It is well worth your time!

{Hello all! I am Daniel S. Goldberg, and I am an assistant professor in The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. I'm trained as an attorney, an historian of medicine, and a bioethicist. As to BJJ, I'm currently a green belt at East Carolina Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a school affiliated with Robson Moura Nations United. I've been training for just over 2 years. - See more at: http://philosophycommons.typepad.com/the_grumpy_grappler/page/2/#sthash.VK2eCJg1.dpuf

{Hello all! I am Daniel S. Goldberg, and I am an assistant professor in The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. I'm trained as an attorney, an historian of medicine, and a bioethicist. As to BJJ, I'm currently a green belt at East Carolina Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a school affiliated with Robson Moura Nations United. I've been training for just over 2 years. - See more at: http://philosophycommons.typepad.com/the_grumpy_grappler/page/2/#sthash.VK2eCJg1.dpuf

{Hello all! I am Daniel S. Goldberg, and I am an assistant professor in The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. I'm trained as an attorney, an historian of medicine, and a bioethicist. As to BJJ, I'm currently a green belt at East Carolina Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a school affiliated with Robson Moura Nations United. I've been training for just over{Hello all! I am Daniel S. Goldberg, and I am an assistant professor in The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. I'm trained as an attorney, an historian of medicine, and a bioethicist. As to BJJ, I'm currently a blue belt at East Carolina Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a school affiliated with Robson Moura Nations United. I've been training for just over 2 years. I look forward to posting more in the weeks and months ahead!}

{Hello all! I am Daniel S. Goldberg, and I am an Assistant Professor in The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. I'm trained as an attorney, an historian of medicine, and a bioethicist. As to BJJ, I'm currently a blue belt at East Carolina Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a school affiliated with Robson Moura Nations United. I've been training for just over 2 years, and look forward to posting more in the weeks and months ahead}.

I am a teacher by temperament, training, and profession, and of one thing I am certain: good students make good teachers, and vice-versa. This is true all of the time. I learn constantly from my students, even as I teach them. Obviously, as to jiujitsu, there is no end to the learning. As I continue to train, one lesson I have really begun to internalize is the importance and value of training with people at all different ranks and skill levels. I have heard stories of practitioners who refuse to train with people of a certain level. There are rationales for such choices, and sometimes respect and deference alone merit certain norms in many academies (i.e., that a lower belt should not ask a black belt to roll, but should rather wait to be invited to do so).

It is not for me to dictate to anyone, let alone people who have been training for many years, with whom they should train. But I have really found a lot of value in training with people of different ranks, and I thought that I’d explain why.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Eddie Cummings is well-known as a leg lock specialist (e.g., see here). His recent success in the latest Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI 4) has once again sparked a discussion about the most maligned submission of all--the heel hook. Cummings used the heel hook to submit his way through the tournament--which is an impressive feat given that he is well known for using the technique (hence, his opponents should have known to be on the look out for them).

As a fan and student of leg locks, I am glad to see Cummings highlighting the versatility and effectiveness of techniques like the heel hook that I think people should embrace rather than shy away from in (uninformed) fear. I have written here before about the pernicious effects of conservatism in jiu jitsu. I won't repeat my gripes here. Instead, I want to focus on the following video posted by Budo Jake (a Gracie Barra black belt and the owner of Budovideos.com--one of the leading distributors of jiu jitsu videos and apparel on the interwebs). In the following video--entitled, "Heel Hookery"--Budo Jake asks his audience whether heel hooks are going to be a newfound focus of their game in the wake of Cummings success at EBI4:

In this video, his main question is whether heel hooks will become a "trend." As he says,

"How about you? Now, after seeing Eddie Cummings dominant heel hook performance, is that something that you're going to put in your game? Umm, for me, it's probably not. I train a little more in the gi than without. Of course, in the gi, most people don't do heel hooks at all. Without the gi, some academies do, so academies don't. At Gracie Barra headquarters, there's a group of us that do sometimes...but generally speaking most people don't do heel hooks even in no gi classes....it's something that can be fun to do, learn the attacks, learn the defenses, there's all that stuff. But you've got to be careful. Heel hooks can be very dangerous."

Here again, we find what I would like to call the "dangerousness canard"--that is, the differential and deferential treatment of the heel hook as something particularly dangerous. Coming from Budo Jake, this is especially irritating. After all, he has already asked Eddie Cummings (see here), Shawn Williams (see here), and Stephen Koepher (see here) about the alleged unique dangerousness of heel hooks and in each case he has already been set straight. As each of these world-class grapplers made clear to him in some detail, the dangerousness of heel hooks (and other footlocks) is born of ignorance.

There is nothing intrinsic to the technique that makes it abnormally dangerous. Rather, because of artificial constraints and fear-mongering (absent sound data), people aren't familiar enough with the position. It's this ignorance that makes the heel hook dangerous. If people were similarly uneducated about the arm bar or kimura, these techniques would be every bit as dangerous. As Williams pointed out in his interview with Budo Jake, it's the person and not the technique that make leg locks like heel hooks dangerous.

The solution is not to collectively shy away from what may very well be the most effective and efficient submission in grappling. Rather, education is the key (as always). Anything less is fear mongering. Appealing to the IBJJF as Budo Jake does--which is somewhat understandable given that he's Gracie Barra and the head of GB also happens to be the head of IBJJF (namely, Carlos Gracie Jr.)--in a weak effort to show that heel hooks are dangerous and should be avoided (especially in the gi) is a fallacious appeal to authority. The mere fact that the almighty overloads of the IBJJF have deemed heel hooks unsafe doesn't make them so. Beware of the dangerousness canard!

The reason Cummings was able to tear through EBI4 with a series of heel hooks submissions is that his opponents did not spend enough time training the ins and outs of the position. Had they have taken the position as seriously as they should, perhaps they could have had more luck keeping themselves safe. But if we embrace fear-mongering, ignorance, and the dangerousness canard as Budo Jake has seemingly done, then we will collectively be in a woulda, coulda, shoulda position when it comes to heel hooks. That seems like a lose-lose situation to me--which is why I am committed to mastering the heel hook no less than the arm bar. And you?

Sunday, August 16, 2015

I recently posted reviews of four books that were either directly or indirectly related to jiu jitsu (see here for details). Today, I am going to review two more. I hope you find them helpful. If you've read any books that you especially liked (or disliked), please post a comment in the discussion thread. I have several more on the shelf I will review in the coming weeks as well! So, stay tuned!

This book contains what the author claims is a "30 day program to improve your game 100%." While I am not sure how one might measure improvement to verify this claim (e.g., what would a 100% improvement look like?!), I did find the book to be well-written and illuminating. One of Staark's key suggestions is to purchase and make use of a good grappling dummy. Unfortunately, while I have no doubt that training with a grappling dummy can really help one improve one's game, the goods ones tend to be too expensive, the inexpensive ones seem to be too crappy, and the DIY ones seem too rudimentary. But if you are lucky enough to have a gym with a good grappling dummy or two, then you should definitely take advantage of the opportunity to fine tune your techniques by getting in lots of extra drilling (at your own time and your own pace--which is what I like about Staark's suggestion).

As for the rest of the book--which comes in at just over 120 pages--Staark traverses a lot of material in a short amount of space. From the philosophy and psychology of training to the 30 day program itself, the book contains a lot of useful details and suggestions. Staark's approach to belt progression is quite similar to the framework found in Saulo Ribieiro's seminal Jiu Jitsu University:

White belt: Survival

Blue belt: Escapes

Purple belt: Guard

Brown belt: Guard passing

Black belt: Submissions

While I like the underlying concepts here, I have never been at a school that adheres to them. That doesn't mean they shouldn't, of course, it just means that if you want to progress along these lines, it will require you to limit your own focus on the details and techniques befitting your experience level. Moreover, it's important to note that Staark acknowledges that each individual's path will take its own shape and have its own pace and progression. So, he takes this to be a rough guideline of what one's focus should be, in general, at each step of the way from white belt to black belt.

Another helpful suggestion by Staark is that one should keep a jiu jitsu journal. As an educator myself, I couldn't agree more. And yet, I too, have been very inconsistent over the years when it comes to keeping a journal. So, while I don't always practice what Staark preaches here, I am nevertheless convinced that keeping a journal is a very useful way of tracking one's progress, reminding oneself of the techniques one has learned in class, noting one's strengths and weaknesses, etc. Staark offers some nice guidelines for how to keep a useful journal. One of the lessons Staark wants readers to learn is the importance of having a goal or focus before each training session--which makes it easier to keep up with one's progress.

All told, this book contains a number of helpful suggestions concerning how one can and should approach one's training in a thorough, methodical, and mindful way in order to most efficiently progress from one step of the jiu jitsu journey to the next. As such, I think it is a very useful little book which I highly recommend. In the future, I plan to purchase more of Staark's books. If someone has read any of the others, let me know what you thought!

This self-published book highlights the importance of doing one's due diligence before making purchases--which I failed to do in this case. Clocking in at a measly 64 pages, this book is lean on useful advice or details. Indeed, a number of pages contain nothing but block quotes from Sun Zu, Miyamoto Musashi, and others. While some of these quotes are intriguing, they are rarely unpacked in useful or insightful ways. That said, there are 10 chapters in all--many of which are only 2-3 pages in length. As such, the book is lean on details (which limits its helpfulness). To be honest, this book doesn't have much going for it. Had I spent more time looking into it before I purchased it, I would have saved some money. Unsurprisingly, it is not a book I recommend. However, Vieira's other book may be more useful--namely, The BJJ Notebook. It certainly seems more substantive based on the table of contents, length, etc. So, if anyone has read a copy, please let me know what you thought! I am always willing to give an author a second chance (if merited)! But as for The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Way, I suggest you look elsewhere if you're after something useful or entertaining to read about the gentle art. This particular book by Vieira is a bit half-baked.

Monday, August 10, 2015

There was an interesting post over at reddit/bjj recently (by "gunsglinger_006") about different kinds (or archetypes) of BJJ instructors (see below for details). Because I have bounced around a lot during my own decades long jiu jitsu journey (from FL to PA to CA to NC to PA to SC), I have had the privilege of studying at a variety of gyms and with a number of talented instructors--many of whom fit the descriptions listed below. Of course, as the author noted in the original post, the categories are not mutually exclusive--that is, some instructors are archetypal in more than one way. But I want to set that possibility aside for present purposes. That said, the original list plus my commentary are below the fold!

Saturday, July 25, 2015

In the first two posts in this four-part series (see here and here), I discussed the fight or flight response (both what it is and why we have and how it can negatively influence jiu jitsu--especially for beginners). So, I thought I would share some of my own struggles as a way of highlighting the various ways this automatic response to (mis)perceived danger can affect even someone who spent his childhood on the wrestling mats.

As someone who started jiu jitsu with a "wrestler's mindset" (having spent much of my childhood on the mats), I was always trying to be a bull-headed passer with my neck and arms exposed. As such, I frequently managed to get myself into unnecessary trouble a lot during the early days of my now nearly ten year long jiu jitsu journey. Wrestlers push a different pace, tend to be more "aggressive," and really, really, really prefer top position. Unsurprisingly, they also tend to give up their neck and their back with reckless abandon whenever they end up in bottom position. So, when I started I would go head-first trying to pass more with force and instinct than proper technique. It worked against other newbies and some slightly more experienced blue belts..

But it rarely worked with any purple belts and it never worked with brown and black belts. Rather than relaxing and treating the roll like the game it ultimately is—which I will suggest is key to understanding the true flow of the roll in Part 4 of this series—I treated each roll as a contest I had to win. So, I would go all out and gas out against upper belts—stuck in the “fight” frame of mind. Then, once I had exhausted myself to no avail, I would get put into a positional disadvantage (usually on the bottom).

Unable to move, owing to my opponents' smothering pressure and my own inadequate technique (and misplaced wrestling instincts), I would then go into full on “flight” and panic mode—thrashing around with what little energy I had left without giving adequate thought to the consequences of my often ill-conceived moves in the game of physical chess being played. The only goal was to get out, relieve the pressure, regain my breath, and regain top position. And when that too failed, as it does against people with superior skill, I would simply freeze up—stupidly stuck in place, statically awaiting (and openly inviting) my own undoing. As badly as I wanted to be the hammer, I often wound up being the nail instead (especially against those with more experience in jiu jitsu).

As is the case with most things, there are clearly individual differences when it comes to how prone to the fight or flight mechanisms are in people (see here and here for more on the psychology).

So, while some may be able to reign in the associated emotions with relative ease (and perhaps even redirect them and appropriate them to better ends), for others it can be a major barrier to one’s progress in the jiu jitsu journey. Indeed, I suspect it partly explains why so many people quit jiu jitsu at white and blue belt and so few quit at purple, brown, and black belt. Unless and until one learns how to tame the fight or flight mindset that comes quite naturally to us when someone is trying to choke us unconscious or bend our arms in unnatural directions, it is hard to truly enjoy jiu jitsu.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Yesterday, I posted the first installment in this four part series--which focused very briefly on the science behind the fight or flight response. In today's follow up post, I want to discuss why I think that this response is so detrimental when it comes to jiu jitsu. Indeed, I suspect it is the #1 reason white belts roll as spastically as they notoriously do (which makes rolling more dangerous for everyone involved). As I mentioned in the previous post, because the fight or flight response is largely automatic, once it takes hold, it is hard to reel back in (especially in situations where someone is trying to pin you in place or submit you).

So, perhaps the best way to begin this post on the deleterious role the fight or flight response plays in jiu jitsu is to point out the obvious fact that every grappler has experienced this response at some point in their development. We have all had those moments when we simply couldn’t move or when we were inextricably immobilized by someone who had more skill (or size and strength) than we did. The power and skill asymmetries can be psychologically jarring (especially when one is doubly disadvantaged in both ways). When the name of the game is control and submission (which is itself a powerful element of the psychology of the gentle art), one learns early on that the technique must be respected just as it must be learned.

Unconsciousness and trips to the hospital to have ligaments replaced are real (if uncommon) consequences of this “game” we voluntarily play. As gentle as the art of jiu jitsu may be in some respects, it can still be dangerous business. As such, it requires a tremendous amount of both trust and patience between training partners (and instructors)—which is something that takes time to develop (especially when one first starts jiu jitsu. In the beginning, your training partners may be complete strangers—strangers seeking to submit you (however friendly they may otherwise be). This is a perfect recipe for the fight or flight response for those who are new to jiu jitsu.

Monday, July 20, 2015

{Hello all! I am Daniel S. Goldberg, and I am an assistant professor in The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. I'm trained as an attorney, an historian of medicine, and a bioethicist. As to BJJ, I'm currently a green belt at East Carolina Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a school affiliated with Robson Moura Nations United. I've been training for just over 2 years. This is my first guest-post here at The Jiu Jitsu Journey. I look forward to writing more in the weeks and months ahead.}

***

“Don’t worry, man, I get nervous, too. Just take some deep breaths and you’ll be fine.”

I had to smile. I love my training partners at East Carolina Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and along with my instructor, Heath Chapman, I owe them everything. But they do not understand. This is not their fault. They cannot understand. Because while virtually every jiu-jiteiro gets nervous, training with serious anxiety and panic disorder is nothing like the jitters that many people feel when stepping on the mats.

The primary reason why I’m writing this essay is to try and explain what it feels like for someone who has had lifelong experiences with anxiety and panic disorder (which often occur together but are not the same thing) to train jiu-jitsu. I’m a good person to describe this: not only do I experience these conditions, but as a professor in a medical school who studies chronic illness, I live what I teach.

Why does it matter? According to the National Institutes for Mental Health, almost 40 million American adults experience anxiety disorders. That’s almost 20% of the entire U.S. population, and is an underestimate because it excludes children and adolescents. Panic disorders may affect as much as 5% of the population, which is equivalent to roughly 17 million people. Given these estimates, it is virtually certain that at least some people who decide to try jiu-jitsu have anxiety and/or panic disorder. We don’t know how many, but given how common anxiety disorders are, it’s reasonable to suggest the number is not small.

So, what does it feel like to train jiu-jitsu with anxiety and panic disorders? The thing to understand about anxiety and panic is that it they are at once mental, emotional, and physical experiences. You can’t really separate any of these from each other. My first eight months of training jiu-jitsu, I had frequent panic attacks, at least 2-3 per week. When I have a panic attack, it feels like my heart cannot possibly take any more, and will come bursting out of my chest. It feels as if I will die right there on the mats. It feels like I am doomed, that I will not survive. I cannot stress enough how literal these feelings are. I feel like I am about to die.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

John Danaher is a black belt under Renzo Gracie and one of the head instructors at Renzo's main academy in NYC. While he is indisputably a legendary professor of jiu jitsu--with famous students ranging from UFC all-time-great George Saint Pierre and current UFC champion Chris Weidman to USA Olympic Judo champion Travis Stevens (who earned his black belt from Danaher)--he is also a bit enigmatic. It's not just his attire--e.g., you'd be hard pressed to find a photo or video of Danaher wearing anything other than a rash guard for a shirt. Indeed, Renzo claims Danaher once attended a wedding in a rash guard! It's the fact that he didn't compete (owing to health problems) and you can't find much video of his teaching online that makes Danaher a curious case.

Instead, what you find are tons of world class grapplers attesting to the fact (either first hand or second hand) that Danaher is a grappling genius and a brilliant instructor. What is clear is that he has a very cerebral approach to jiu jitsu (and martial arts more generally)--which is unsurprising given that he was once enrolled in a PhD program at Columbia University (where he eventually earned a MA in philosophy while working on the side as a bouncer).

As an academic philosopher myself, I appreciate the careful and analytical approach Danaher brings to the grappling arts (see, e.g., the book Mastering Jujitsu--which Danaher wrote "with" (i.e., for) Renzo. It's for this reason that I wish he were less of a mystery and more of a public figure. I can't afford to go to NYC just to train and even if I could, I am confident that I couldn't afford a private with the gentleman that is often lauded as some kind of grappling guru.

So, for now, I have to settle for the tidbits that are available on the interwebs--which I have posted below. First, there are some interesting and entertaining articles about the mystery (mad)man. These are followed by some video interviews. In the coming weeks, I will be posting about some of the issues he discusses--e.g., (a) his claim that it is important that we have names for every specific, fine-grained position in jiu jitsu (which I think is correct), and (b) his claim that he is a dictator when it comes to the fundamentals but a libertarian when it comes to more advanced practitioners who are working on developing the style and approaches that best suit them individually (which I also think is correct, but I have some questions about what counts as "fundamental").

Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Vice.com has run a series of stories on their interesting and illuminating Fightland page that focus on the charity started by 5x world Champion Fernando "Terere" da Silva. Terere has an amazing and very inspirational life story (see videos below for details). As such, he is well positioned to run a program like the Terere Kids Project--a charity that focuses on making jiu jitsu accessible to children who otherwise couldn't afford it.

Here is their Mission Statement:

Our Mission is to improve the lives of children in the communities by providing a safe recreational environment away from the drugs and violence that they are often exposed to at a young age living in the favelas. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an outlet for many of the kids from the favela. It's a safe place where they can come to train with their friends and learn from role models from the Cantagalo community. Jiu Jitsu is also a gateway to new oppurtunities for many athletes. Kids who were previously limited to the comings and goings of their neighborhoods bow onto the mats with athletes from all over the world that come to train in Brazil.

I greatly admire the idea behind this project--which has an important role to play in keeping kids out of trouble. Given the poverty that plagues many of the children living in Brazil's favelas, programs like TKP provide at-risk children with an opportunity to keep their lives on the right path with the help of jiu jitsu. The Fightland series about the program can be found here:

The whole series is worth the read and the cause is worthy of your thoughts and contributions.

I also think similar programs should be adopted throughout the United States to help our own at-risk youth. So, while I encourage you to donate to TKD--since it's a good cause being run by a legend and an inspiration--I also encourage people to consider ways of using jiu jitsu to enrich the lives of poor children in their own communities. Hopefully, in the months and years ahead, my training partners and instructors at Devine Jiu Jitsu Charleston can come up with some creative ways of giving back to our own community here in the low country. It's not just about paying it forward to the next generation of grapplers. It's about using jiu jitsu to transform and improve people's lives--especially those who are the most vulnerable.

For inspiration, check out the following videos (below the fold) about Terere's own hardships and his redemption:

Sunday, June 28, 2015

I don't always see eye to eye when it comes to Ryron and Rener Gracie and the way they run Gracie University (see here and here for some intra-familial criticisms). But I nevertheless appreciate what they've tried to accomplish when it comes to spreading the art of jiu jitsu and I respect the passion and enthusiasm that they usually display when talking about the gentle art. I find the video posted below--entitled, "What exactly is a jiu jitsu blue belt?" especially illuminating. Indeed, I think this admittedly lengthy discussion (clocking in as it does at 40+ minutes) is a must see not just for those who are thinking about getting into jiu jitsu, but also for those who are already on their own jiu jitsu journey (especially instructors and gym owners).

One topic that is the focus of their conversation is how to attract and retain new students. As they note, one impediment to getting new students to stick around is the old school approach to teaching and training that is lamentably still prevalent in gyms around the country (and around the world). Let's call this approach, the "survival of the fittest" mindset when it comes to how to treat new students.

On this view, white belts ought to be subjected to a kind of trial by fire whereby they are thrown on the sacrificial alter of more experienced white belts as well as hungry blue belts and purple belts--who are encouraged to sharpen their own skills on the backs of the uninitiated. Unsurprisingly, this approach is a recipe for disaster and a sure-fire way of scaring off most of the white belts who step on the mat. After all, when taken to its extreme, this approach puts these white belts in danger right from the start.

As Rener and Ryron point out, when an instructor adopts this mindset--allowing brand new students to spar with students with either no experience or more experience (each of which creates unique problems of its own)--eventually the "savages will surface." Oftentimes, these surfacing savages are people who are lot like I was when I first stepped onto the mat. I had a wrestling background and a wrestler's mindset, so while I took my beatings like everyone else, I also started with enough grappling savvy to smash the other newbies in my cohort. And smash them I did--often with the encouragement of the upper belts and even the instructors.

So, while I couldn't avoid being the nail when rolling with people with more experience, I wasn't about to pass up on my chance to be the hammer when the opportunity presented itself. In the long run, this wasn't good for me or my training partners. And ultimately, it fosters a mindset and mentality that is positively bad for the art (and sport) of jiu jitsu.

Unfortunately, it took me several years to unlearn the misguided lessons I learned during the early stages of my own journey. It wasn't until I found myself at a well-run school with a great instructor (thanks, Seth Shamp at Triangle Jiu Jitsu) that I started to see the error of my savage ways. The goal shouldn't be to smash people. Rather, the goal should be to work hard to make everyone else around you better (which will in turn make you better). But even with a new-found appreciation for the problem with my attitude--an attitude that had been cultivated, encouraged, and even rewarded at some of the gyms I had been at--it still took a long time for that mindset to loosen its grip on how I approached training. Jiu jitsu is not about finding the savage within. It is about taming the inner beast--strangling it into submission so that technique and respect can replace unnecessary force and the will to dominate.

Our partners are not our stepping stones, they are fellow travelers on a path towards an ever elusive mastery of the art we love. Unless and until we leave behind the old ways of training--that is, until we quit throwing newly minted white belts to the wolves and shepherd and nurture them instead so that they, too, may bring more people into our jiu jitsu families, ours will continue to be a fringe sport with a bad reputation rather than a respected martial art with a important role to play in our communities at large. Or so it seems to me. And so it seems to Ryron and Rener--which is why I highly recommend you take the time to watch the video below.

Dedicate yourself to doing what you can to help spread jiu jitsu. Finding the savage within runs counter to this mission. So, instructors should work hard to design a beginner's program that fosters the right mindset while giving those new to the art adequate time to develop before they are forced to spread their wings out of fear and duress. Otherwise, these new students will take flight never to return--like so many white belts before them.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

As with any martial art, there has always been some infighting among the legends of jiu jitsu when it comes to the evolution of the art form. While conservatives usually focus on the self-defense aspect of Gracie jiu jitsu, progressives embrace the transition from a more narrow system of self defense to the seemingly endless system of contemporary sport jiu jitsu. This is a fault line that not only divides practitioners, but it is one that affects the very evolution of jiu jitsu itself. As is often the case when conservatives and progressives disagree, there is a kernel of truth in both view points (even if I personally believe the progressives ultimately have the right attitude towards jiu jitsu).

Part of the beauty of embracing a progressive picture of jiu jitsu whereby the art form is being constantly developed and improved--rather than insisting that "real" jiu jitsu is limited to the self-defense techniques developed and taught by the Gracies beginning in the 1930s--is that it democratizes the art of jiu jitsu by allowing anyone to contribute new and innovative techniques for others to use and build upon. But I realize not everyone shares my fondness for progressivism (both in jiu jitsu and in politics)! So, I thought I would post some videos that contain interviews with some of the luminaries of jiu jitsu from both the past and the present.

For me, it's interesting to see how differently practitioners view the nature of the martial art they love and teach. While some preach conservativism--e.g., Royce and Rickson Gracie--others embrace a more progressive stance towards the evolution of jiu jitsu--e.g., Ricardo De La Riva and Robson Moura. There is some wisdom to be gleaned from both sides. For my money, though, I think De La Riva strikes the right balance with the following remarks:

Of course, you have to have good basics, the basics have to be there always...but inside the art, we develop a lot of techniques. So today, with so many people practicing, it's natural for there to be an evolution in jiu jitsu for the better.

Unsurprisingly, I think he's right about the evolution of jiu jitsu. Others in the videos below may disagree. So, watch, learn, and let me know what you think: Are we making progress in jiu jitsu or have we lost our way?

Saturday, February 28, 2015

It is not often that my professional research interests intersect with my obsession with the grappling arts. But recently I have been thinking about an important overlap between some research I have been conducting during the past two years on the psychology of humility and some habits of mind that one finds among practitioners of the gentle art. To get my present investigation off of the ground, I want to introduce a distinction between two antonymous traits—hubris and humility. First up is hubris—which involves excessive pride or self-confidence. People who exhibit hubris often also exhibit other related traits such as arrogance, conceit, self-importance, and egotism. This constellation of negative traits is commonly found in grapplers who have an inflated sense of their own skills, accomplishments, and self-worth. Not only can hubris be an impediment to progress—since one thinks one is better than one actually is—but it also leads to a “me first” mindset that makes it less likely that one will be a good training partner and team member.

A paradigm act of hubris on the mats is what happens when a lower belt really goes after upper belts who are already taking it easy for educational purposes. Not appreciating their proper place in the hierarchy of skill, grapplers in the throes of hubris roll harder than they should—which can serve to irritate and frustrate training partners who have more experience and skill. One minute, you let someone have back control and suddenly they’re going after a submission like it was a match for the world title rather than a practice round at the gym. It’s one thing to roll hard with upper belts but it’s another thing to roll with hubris—that is, lacking self-awareness concerning one’s own limitations and underestimating or undervaluing the skills of those who have put much more time into mastering the art.

Rolling with hubris is rolling without the right perspective or attitude. It is to place yourself at the center of the universe. It is to try to “score points” by “showing up” an upper belt rather than rolling to have fun, learn, and help others improve. Rather than respecting your training partners and fostering their growth and development, rolling with hubris breeds frustration and even resentment. Nothing is more frustrating than the lower belt who constantly brags about how he “almost” caught an upper belt, how he kept from getting passed, etc. The response to those who roll with hubris is to bring them down a notch—that is, to humble them in the hopes it will give them the self-awareness and perspective they are sorely needing.

In this sense, humbling someone is a way of leading them from the path of hubris to the path of humility. On the view of humility I have been developing and defending with my collaborators, to be humble is to have two chief traits: (a) low self-focus, and (b) high other-focus. Humble individuals are “decentered”—they focus less on themselves while simultaneously focusing more on others. Being humble doesn’t require one to have a low-minded attitude towards oneself. Instead, it merely requires that one appreciates one’s place in the bigger picture.

It should be obvious that humility is a great mindset for anyone who is interested in being a good student of the grappling arts. Not only does being humble make one a better student, but it makes one a much better training partner as well. A humble training partner is someone who is going to roll with self-awareness and a keen appreciation for how her skills and techniques stack up in relation to others. To roll with humility is to know when it’s appropriate to take it easier on lower belts and when it’s appropriate to turn it up a notch against upper belts. Being humble requires one to be mindful of issues that are often ignored by those who roll with hubris. So, whereas the latter generates frustration and resentment, the former fosters trust and respect. I think that if more people approached their training with humility rather than hubris, those new to the art would be more inclined to stick around since the environment would be both safer and more welcoming.

So, keep this in mind the next time you find yourself going after the upper belts who have often dedicated a lot of their time to helping you improve. Grappling is bigger than you. Know your place within the hierarchy of skill and technique and appreciate how much you have yet to learn. Above all, respect yourself and your partners and remember that while humility is a central grappling virtue, hubris is one of the worst vices for those interested in making progress on their own grappling journey.